Schools closed, sirens go off: All about what’s happening in Indian border towns as Pakistan escalates tensions

During the night between Thursday and Friday, Indian forces successfully prevented multiple Pakistani missile attacks on cities near the India-Pakistan border. The Indian Army Air Defence Units neutralised up to 50 drones in border regions, including Udhampur, Jammu, Akhnoor, and others.

The defence ministry reported that the Pakistani military tried to strike up to 15 cities in Jammu, Kashmir, and Punjab, which shares a border with Pakistan. The cities listed are Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj. Numerous cities faced a complete power outage during the deafening air raid sirens as Pakistan deployed swarm drones, which India successfully intercepted. The border states remain on high alert since military tensions between India and Pakistan increased, resulting in school closures in multiple cities and residents gathering supplies for emergencies.

All educational establishments, comprising schools, colleges, and universities, have been shut down in Jammu and Kashmir until Monday due to the intensifying military conflict with Pakistan.

Jammu and Kashmir’s chief minister Omar Abdullah traveled to Jammu this morning to assess the situation and stated that a decision regarding the extension of school closures in the state will be made on Monday following a review of the circumstances.

In Patiala, all schools and colleges are shut down until further notice, and residents have been urged to stay calm and remain inside following last night’s terrifying events. Individuals have been advised to remain indoors unless it is essential to go outside.

Chandigarh has once more been issued an air alert regarding a potential assault from the Air Force station, as stated by the city’s deputy commissioner. Air sirens are blaring, and individuals have been urged to stay indoors and avoid balconies.

In Pathankot as well, residents have been instructed to remain indoors and adhere to the blackout protocols by the city’s Deputy Commissioner, Aditya Uppal. In addition to that, blackouts were also implemented in Rupnagar, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Bathinda, and Panchkula in Haryana, as a precaution. Still shaken by the terror of last night, laborers from outside Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri and various civilians departed for safer locations. Images indicate that multiple stores close to Uri sustained damage last night. In Srinagar and various areas of Jammu and Kashmir, life has shifted to a slower pace since Friday morning, characterized by reduced vehicular movement and closed schools.

In Punjab and Haryana, the Bar Council has announced no-work day in the courts of both states and their capital Chandigarh due to prevailing conditions. “We request all Bar associations to observe this resolution and ensure safety of all,” BCPH chairman Rakesh Gupta said in a message to district Bar Associations. Haryana’s Ambala city has received an air warning from the Air force station of possible attack and sirens have been sounded. People have been advised to stay indoors and keep away from balconies.